1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an absorbent product, and, more particularly, this invention relates to a cellulose absorbent material which has been processed to provide a granular product of compacts which have an irregular surface without sharp edges and a size compatable for loose distribution in the area of use.
2. Description of the Prior Art
It is well known that cellulose fibers are good absorbents for soluble oils, water and water based fluids and even heavy oils.
While clay products have enjoyed wide spread use as absorbents, the realization that cellulose offers far greater absorbtion has received attention. With ever increasing need to clean up oil spills and dispose of hazardous waste this attention has been accelerated. Of particular note is the fact that a cellulose product is biodegradable and that it can be incinerated adding a BTU value to the sorbed product which enhances energy recovery or make possible the incineration itself without application of external heat or fuel.
While wood and other plant celluloses such as rice hulls can be processed in useful absorbent products, particularly under the teachings of the present invention, the preferred embodiment of the invention employs corncob products.
Approximately 60% of the corncob's weight is made up of hard woody ring. This portion will absorb approximately 100% of its weight in oil and 133% of its weight in water. The pith and chaff portion of the corncob are the lighter components and make up the balance of the corncob weight. In their loose form, after having been reduced, for example by grinding rolls and a hammer mill, these lighter ends can absorb well in excess of 400% of their weight in some oils and water and water based liquids.
Such a loose, lighter corncob product of chaff and pith which has been separated from the hard woody ring is produced by The Andersons in Maumee, Ohio and is marketed under the trademark SLIKWIK.RTM.. This product is most often used for absorbing organic wastes. The product and its use for removing oil or oily substances from the surface or upper layer of a body of water is set forth in U.S. Pat. No. 3,617,564. The SLIKWIK.RTM. product is extremely lightweight having a density between 5 and 20 lb/ft.sup.3, making its use in wind conditions sometimes difficult. To overcome this disadvantage, the product is put into 3" diameter by 48" long socks for absorbtion of wastes, for example adjacent to machine tools to absorb cutting fluids.
To fill the need for a denser product and a product particularly adapted for absorbing water and water base substances, The Andersons produce a pellet product marketed under the trademark LITE-R-COBS.RTM.. This pelled product is made from the lightweight chaff and pith corncob components and is cylindrical having a nominal 1/4" diameter with random lengths normally between 1/4" and 1/2". This pellet product has a density between 35 and 42 lb/ft.sup.3, and because of its higher density and hardened surface, it has a reduced absorbtion capacity, particularly for organic substances such as heavy motor oil.